Clemson Puts “Utility” Back in Sports Utility Vehicle
August 8th, 2014A group of students at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research have taken the BMW X3 compact SUV and created a design concept that returns it to vehicle ready to actually do some work. With a split, swing-open tailgate and a retractable rear window panel, the SUV, called “Deep Orange 4,” becomes a wide-open carrier that can handle a pretty good amount of cargo. The vehicle also incorporates a small rear window that is deployed during the transformation to keep the passenger compartment sealed.
The team began with a market analysis to identify the needs of consumers, then proceeded to engineering and building the concept vehicle. It’s capable to transform from a typical SUV to a cargo-carrying vehicle. They also considered how the manufacturing of the vehicle could fit with BMW’s existing automotive plants and processes.
Take a look at a time-lapse of the build process and see more about the design of the vehicle and Clemson’s partnership with BMW in the in-depth videos below. Deep Orange 4 is now on display at the CAR Group Management Briefing Seminar in Michigan.